IMPROVED. a73 



Size, and the Parties recovered to a Miracle. But 

 the Reafon why this Operation does not much 

 oftener fucceed to the Patient's Satisfadlion, is Want 

 of Judgment in the Phylician or Surgeon employ'd ; 

 For if thefe underilood their Bufmefs, they muft Tapping 

 know the different Kinds of tumefied Bellies, and^^a ^ 

 eafily judge by the Date of the Diflemper, the ^^°^ ^^^ 

 Sound of the Belly, and the Fluctuation of the it does not 

 Waters, together with the Afpeft of the Patient, oftener 

 and Knowledge of his or her Manner of living ; 1 fucceed, 

 fay, if thefe be confidered by a skilful Perfon of the 

 ProfefTion, a pretty fure Prognoflick may be form'd, 

 whether any thing or nothing can be done for the 

 Benefit of the Sick, more than prolonging Life for a 

 few uneafy Days and Weeks. 



Lailly, when the Dropfy call'd Afcites happens 

 to attack a hard Drinker of Spirituous Liquors, I 

 muft tell him for his Comfort, he cannot be long an 

 Inhabitant of this World, but that his inward Parts 

 are or fcon will be fo vitiated, and as it were par- 

 boil'd, that they admit of no Human AfTiftance. 

 Therefore he muft fall, as the merry Drinking 

 Catch expreiTes it, in ( or rather by ) Ocloher. 



There are various and innumerable Prefcriptions 

 fet down by Authors for the Cure of Dropfies, 

 which are compounded according to the Opinion and 

 Skill of the Prefcriber. One of Hvppccrates's Apho-^^^^"^^'*'*-' 

 rifms is plainly againft Tapping Men for a Dropfy, tap!;-^g'"^^ 

 tho' I fanCy this divine old Man had been fome ]^ien for a 

 Time or other frighted into the Opinion, by obferv- Dropfy 

 ing that Wounds in Hydropic Bodies were with 

 Difnculty cured ; as may be gathered from the latter 

 Part of tiie fame Aphorifm. Yet, as I juft now faid, 

 the prefent Practice feems to warrant the Operation. 



I muft not omit one Thing for the Benefit of my Dr. Botv 

 Readers who happen to be afnifted with this ftub-'^^^^'^e's Opi 

 born Diftemper. It is the Opinion and Do6lrine'^5'^°^"ths- 

 of the truly worthy Dr. Boerkaa-ve, communicated H^^^ma '"'^ 

 to me fome Years ago from his own Mouth, ^i^. Bodies. 



that Hydropic People ought flridly and reli- 

 N 5 *' gicufly 



